by Dave Birkett, USA TODAY Sports

by Dave Birkett, USA TODAY Sports

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh said he doesn't believe one of his teammates used the shield of anonymity to criticize him after a loss to the Indianapolis Colts this month.

Suh talked with reporters Wednesday for the first time since Yahoo! Sports reported that an unnamed teammate said Suh was first on the list of "guys who don't understand what it takes to win."

Suh said the criticism was "interesting," but he insisted he's not looking around the locker room, trying to guess who said what.

"I don't care," he said. "You know where my locker is if you got something to say to me. But I really, honestly, in my heart of hearts, I really don't think it's true. And it's unfortunate that things are written like that. I mean, if it is true, it is true. If it's not, it's not."

Suh was mostly dominant in a Dec. 2 loss to the Colts. He had six tackles, one sack and six quarterback hits in the game, but also got out of his rush lane on the game's final play, when Andrew Luck stepped up in the pocket to throw the winning touchdown pass.

After the game, an anonymous teammate was quoted as saying that Suh is "focused for 90% of the time. But it's the 10% that kills you. â?¦ With (Suh), he loses his cool and, all of a sudden, we're blowing a play or dealing with some controversy."

The teammate also was quoted as saying that Suh's behavior is one reason the Lions (4-9) have fallen on hard times after reaching the playoffs last season.

"When stars act like that, everybody else thinks it's OK to act like that," the player said. "It's like with kids. You let one get a little out of control, the other one does the same thing pretty quick. It's human nature."

Suh defended his know-how to win today, pointing out that he has played on successful teams in high school, college and last year with the Lions, and that he won a state shot put championship in track and field.

"I won a personal championship in winning shot put, so, in essence, I knew how to win individually," Suh said. "As a team, I've gone far with my football teams. We went deep into the playoffs in high school; we went to big bowl games in college and played in some huge games. One of my last games in college was a pretty big game. I went to the Big 12 championship. So I've been there, I've done a lot of things and have been fortunate for that.

"I feel like being able to go back on those examples and being through those particular things that I've had an inkling of how to win. It's been a little bit different in the league, but I mean, we had a pretty good year last year. Not saying it was the best year, 'cause we still lost six games, but you have some sense of knowing how to get things done. But we're on the same team."

In his third season, Suh has proved to be a favorite target of criticism, both anonymous and otherwise.

One unnamed general manager told Pro Football Weekly this year that Suh belongs on the "all-hype team," and Suh has been accused of dirty play several times in recent weeks.

He was fined $30,000 after Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub was kicked in the groin in a Thanksgiving loss, avoided a fine after Colts lineman Mike McGlynn accused him of taunting an injured Winston Justice on the field, and in Sunday's loss to the Green Bay Packers, picked up his first personal foul of the season, for shoving Aaron Rodgers after an incomplete pass.

Asked about that penalty today, Suh said, "It must be nice to be a quarterback in this league, but other than that, I couldn't tell you."

"The thing is, is that I ask questions, and I ask the referees what could I have done differently? And if you go back and look at the play, I was held, so if I was late, there's a reason why I was late," Suh said. "There's ways to look at it, and there's lots of ways you can determine things, but it's water under the bridge, can't do anything about it. Continue to play. Just learn from your lessons."

Suh said he hasn't been notified that he'll be fined for the play. Fines usually are conveyed to players by the Wednesday after the game.

"He threw an incomplete pass. There's a reason why he threw that incomplete pass," Suh said. "Because I was right there, and I was in his face, and I pushed him."